Increased Access to Pre-K

Governor Cuomo recently announced an initiative, that my colleagues and I supported in the Legislature, to provide funding to 25 high-need school districts including Cohoes and Lansingburgh to increase access to quality pre-kindergarten to three-year-olds.

The opportunities for our children are greatly expanded by bringing them into the education system earlier. This will be a great addition to our schools and kudos to both Cohoes and Lansingburgh for their efforts to secure these competitive grants.

To read more on this newly announced initiative click here!

Homebuyer 101 Workshop

The Affordable Housing Partnership will be hosting monthly homebuyer 101classes on Tuesday, December 6th and January 3rd at 5:30 p.m. The class will teach those looking to buy their own home the proper steps to take.

From an overview of the home buying process to down payment grant programs, this workshop will be a great resource! It will take place at the Albany Public Library located at 161 Washington Ave.

To register for the workshop call (518) 434-1730 ext.401.

New York State History Month

November is New York State History Month! The State Museum is celebrating with a variety of free public programs for children, families, and adults.

Behind the Scenes Tour of the Museum's History Collections will take place Sunday, November 20th from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Come and celebrate New York State History Month with a behind-the-scenes tour of the history collections. Registration required; call 518-474-0575.

Brain Food for the Curious: Erie Canal Warehouse will take place Tuesday, November 22 at 12:10 p.m. Learn about the history of an Erie Canal Warehouse in Mohawk, NY. Visitors are encouraged to bring their lunch and participate in a Q&A session after the talk.

To get more details or to register for these events visit www.nysm.nysed.gov/research-collections/state-history

Academy for Character Education: a conversation with Clifton Taulbert

On December the 7th at 8 a.m. Clifton Taulbert, the author of a Pulitzer Prize nominated book “Last Train North”, will be speaking at the Century House in Latham. The event, sponsored by The Academy for Character Education, EducationalVistas, Inc., and Century House Incorporated, will feature Taulbert’s “Entrepreneur Thinking: Moving to Success” speech.

The fee to attend this event will be $25. For more information or to register contact The Academy for Character Education at (518) 244-2336 or online at sage.edu/charactered.

"Move Over" law PSA

Take a moment to review newly released PSA to protect all of our first responders and those who work on our roads to take care of us! New York’s "Move Over" law requires drivers to use due care, slow down and safely move over when approaching law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, construction and maintenance vehicles stopped along the roadway!

Ride Sharing

The issue of ride-sharing in Upstate New York remains a priority to me going into the 2017 legislative session. I am still dedicated to working on the principles of background checks, reasonable insurance limits and access for those with disabilities. Take a look at this TWC piece for more of my thoughts.